Drive or Fly: Hialeah, FL to Beacon Square, FL?

Side-by-side comparison of driving versus flying for this route. Costs, time, and trade-offs at a glance.

Driving wins

Medium

No scheduled commercial flights found for OPF–PIE. At 288 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Drive

Door to Door

5h 31m

Distance

288.2 mi

Total Cost

$99

CO2

116 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$64

Hotel (1 room, 0 nights) $0

Meals (1 pax, 1 day) $35

+ No luggage restrictions or TSA lines

+ Comfortable one-day drive

+ Stop anywhere along the route

+ Have your own car at the destination

+ Likely faster door-to-door than flying

− Wear and tear on vehicle

− Fuel price fluctuations

Plan the drive

Fly

Door to Door

3h 9m

27m in the air

Air Distance

223 mi

Total Cost

$184

CO2

57 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Hialeah, FL → OPF 10m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 27m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

PIE → Beacon Square, FL 32m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $129) $129

Rental car (1 day)$55

Airports

Hialeah, FL OPF — Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport 3 mi, ~10m drive

Beacon Square, FL PIE — St. Petersburg Clearwater International Airport 21 mi, ~32m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between OPF and PIE. Flight estimates above are theoretical.

+ Saves about 2h 22m compared to driving

+ Less physical fatigue

+ Predictable arrival time

− Airport security and check-in overhead

− No scheduled commercial flights found for this route

− May need a rental car at destination

− Luggage fees and restrictions

− Less flexibility for stops along the way

Train

Amtrak

Door to Door

6h 54m

5h 26m on rail

Total Cost

$40

CO2

12 kg

Route

Floridian

Door-to-Door Timeline

Hialeah, FL → Miami Amtrak Station 10m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 326m

Arrival 10m

Tampa → Beacon Square, FL 38m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $40) $40

Estimated based on distance. Check amtrak.com for current prices.

Stations

From Miami Amtrak Station 1 mi, ~10m drive

To Tampa 26 mi, ~38m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~2/week

+ Spacious seating with legroom and power outlets

+ Walk around freely during the trip

+ No driving fatigue — relax or work en route

+ Much lower carbon footprint than driving or flying

− Limited schedule — about 2 trips per week

− Amtrak delays can be unpredictable

− Need transportation to/from station

− Less flexibility than driving

Bus

FlixBus

Door to Door

8h 27m

7h 18m on road

Total Cost

$23

CO2

12 kg

Route

FlixBus 2421

Door-to-Door Timeline

Hialeah, FL → Miami Intermodal Center (MID6) 10m

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 438m

Arrival 10m

University of South Florida (4US) → Beacon Square, FL 34m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $23) $23

Estimated based on distance. Check flixbus.com for current prices.

Stations

From MID6 — Miami Intermodal Center 4 mi, ~10m drive

To 4US — University of South Florida 23 mi, ~34m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~21/week

+ Usually the cheapest option

+ Wi-Fi and power outlets on board

+ No driving fatigue — relax or work en route

+ Much lower carbon footprint than driving or flying

− Travel time longer than driving

− Need transportation to/from station

− Less flexibility than driving

At a Glance

	Drive	Fly	Train	Bus
Door-to-door time	5h 31m	3h 9m	6h 54m	8h 27m
Total cost (1 person)	$99	$184	$40	$23
Carbon footprint	116 kg CO₂	57 kg CO₂	12 kg CO₂	12 kg CO₂
Flexibility	High	Low
Luggage	Unlimited	Restricted
Reliability	Weather dependent	Data unavailable

Drive data: OSRM routing, EIA fuel prices

Flight data: Statistical estimate

Airports: OurAirports

Transit: Amtrak GTFS, FlixBus GTFS — fares estimated

Confidence: Medium — airports identified, fares estimated

Costs are estimates. Actual flight prices vary by airline, date, and booking time. Drive costs based on OSRM routing, EIA fuel prices. Computed Apr 12, 2026.

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Hialeah, FL to Beacon Square, FL with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.